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Gingrich Suggests a Reversal of Mideast Policy

WASHINGTON — Does Newt Gingrich believe in a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Democratic and Republican administrations since the 1990s have adopted that framework for peace in the Middle East, but Mr. Gingrich suggested that he might break with it, calling Palestinians an “invented” people and the current stalled peace process “delusional.”

He also said the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which has pledged to respect Israel’s right to exist, really harbors “an enormous desire to destroy Israel.”

In his comments, Mr. Gingrich has gone beyond the other Republican presidential candidates, who have condemned President Obama for proposing that Israel’s 1967 borders, with mutually agreed land swaps, should be the basis for negotiating peace with the Palestinians.

Middle East experts said that Mr. Gingrich’s views did not represent those of Israel’s conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, or a majority of the Israeli people, and that they might be counterproductive to establishing peace.

Discussing the origin of the state of Israel in the 1940s, Mr. Gingrich said: “Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. And I think that we’ve had an invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places.”

Martin S. Indyk, a former United States ambassador to Israel, said that if Mr. Gingrich believed that Palestinians did not have a right to an independent state, “as implied in his language, then he’s not pro-Israel at all.”

“Because the government of Israel under Prime Minister Netanyahu supports a two-state solution,” Mr. Indyk said. “The people of Israel — an overwhelming majority of them — support a two-state solution, in which there would be an independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure state of Israel.”

Mr. Gingrich, who is leading in recent polls, has repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for bending too far in favor of the Palestinians. He was applauded at a candidates’ forum on Wednesday by a coalition of Jewish Republicans for characterizing the administration’s view as “it’s always Israel’s fault — no matter how bad the other side is.”

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Newt Gingrich suggested a break with the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Credit
Rainier Ehrhardt/Associated Press

He vowed at the forum that he would move the American Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, a promise previous presidential candidates have made only to reverse themselves once in the White House.

“We’ve seen that movie before,” Mr. Indyk said, citing George W. Bush. “When candidates become president, they understand that such a move would be highly inflammatory absent a peace agreement. It would be pre-empting negotiations. And presidents, as opposed to candidates, don’t want to act irresponsibly and undermine negotiations.”

In the interview, Mr. Gingrich drew little distinction between the Palestinian Authority, which is in power in the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza and is regarded by the United States government as a terrorist group.

“I mean, we have an armed truce with a Palestinian Authority that’s relatively weak,” he said. “And on its flank is a Hamas authority, which may become relatively weak because it can’t deliver anything. But both of which represent an enormous desire to destroy Israel.”

He described Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, as denying Israel’s right to exist.

“You have Abbas, who says in the United Nations, ‘We do not necessarily concede Israel’s right to exist,’ ” Mr. Gingrich said. “So you have to start with this question: ‘Who are you making peace with?’ ”

Mr. Abbas, who unsuccessfully sought to have a nation of Palestine accepted for United Nations membership in September, said in his speech that he favored peace talks.

David A. Harris, chief executive of the National Jewish Democratic Council, an American Jewish group, said Mr. Gingrich’s views reversed decades of American policy by both Democratic and Republican administrations.

“This is as clear a demonstration as one needs that he’s not ready for prime time,” Mr. Harris said.

A campaign spokesman did not respond to requests to clarify Mr. Gingrich’s positions.

A version of this article appears in print on December 10, 2011, on page A17 of the New York edition with the headline: Gingrich Suggests a Reversal of Mideast Policy. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe